OMG! Johanna actually knows this is the line from a song by the group Queen. Johanna is 15.5 years older than me(I'm 41). She has survived my desire to learn to sail, too!!
I sent that as the opening line to an email about my new bicycle to Johanna. I had returned to Janesville, WI to see my old dentist and to buy a new bicycle. I had always heard rave reviews about Michael's Cycle and thought that's the place to buy a bicycle for the charity bike rides. Very disappointing. The old guy that waited on me wasn't willing to change the settings on the first bike I tried and wanted to show me a lesser bike by another manufactur. Needless to say the only business in J-ville that made money that day was D. D. S. Loyld Smith.
I then went to visit an old high school classmate Denny W. He was very concerned about me trying to drive back to Northern WI that night. He said they would be up at 5:15am (ungodly oclock, to me) but, I was welcome to stay there that night. ( Yes, I work the swing shift!) I called "my sister in the closet" and told her what was going on. I spent the night and called "Red" and highjacked her computer the next morning to find a bike shop in Madison (at Johanna's urging). I wasn't real crazy about driving around Madison since it had been many years since I had(I live near a town that bills itself as "The biggest smalltown in the state")
I went to Budget Bicycle Used Bikes and wound up buying a new bike. I can't say enough good things about them,!! They were willing to sell a used bike to me and change the setting on the handle bars, seat, etc. The Raliegh was up on the bike holder. They had the Cateye Astrale half installed and I noticed the Raliegh didn't have any shocks in the front fork. They sent me to their new bike showroom pedalling the Raliegh just so I could make sure it wasn't what I wanted. I got a sweet deal on the repair kit, and Cateye Astrale and loaded a Gary Fischer Nirvana in the back of "Ol Red"(My truck).
The next day I pulled the bike out of the truck and pedalled "uptown". Picked up the mail and headed over to a couple places I visit. Got a few wise assed remarks at the first place but, know they were glad for me! Then headed over to another and they had encouraging words for me!
I decided I want to go in an event that requires pledges for a non-alpha1 event over by Milwaukee. I don't know if any of you had the priviledge of knowing Noreen & Ken Austin.... but, I told her daughter Janet " I hope I can posesss as much style & grace when I become feeble. I'd even be happy if I had half as much!". For those of you that didn't have that priviledge I am truly sorry!! Noreen died as the result of complications from Leukemia. I never once saw her sad or with a negative thing to say and she had her fair share of heartaches! She had one of the biggest hearts in the whole wide world!! My family and I can tell many a heartwarming story involving the Austins....our lives are richer for those experiences.
I'm kinda wish I had bought a 27 speed bike (instead of a 24) but, maybe when the weather warms my attitude will change. I can tell you there IS a noticeable difference between a Wal-mart Huffy and a Gary Fischer in performance!! I now understand the diff between mash and spin.
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